Politics

When it comes to the debate on same-sex marriage, Chris Christie seems to want to have his cake and eat it too.

Time reports that while speaking to reporters Saturday at the National Governors Association convention in Nashville , Gov. Chris Christie said that while the issue of same-sex marriage is "settled" in his home state of New Jersey, opponents of marriage equality shouldn't give up the fight elsewhere.

"The country will resolve this over a period of time," Christie said during his address, adding that it is important for people to respect those who disagree with them on the issue. "But do I think it's resolved now? No."

In 2013, Christie dropped a legal fight to block same-sex marriage in New Jersey after the state's Supreme Court stated it would not stop the marriages.

"When I know that I've been defeated you don't bang your head against a wall and spend taxpayer money to do it," he said, explaining his decision. "Absent a change in the legislature, I think at the moment it's settled law in New Jersey."

In 2012, Christie vetoed a bill passed by the state legislature legalizing gay marriage. Since then, support for marriage equality grew in the largely Democratic Garden State.

Christie, who has long been considered a viable candidate for the Republican bid for the presidency in 2016, further said that his party should stay away from a national campaign on the issue.

Christie's comments come at a time where the issue of same-sex marriage rights continue to cause an ever growing rift in the Republican party between hardline conservatives and younger voters. A federal ban on same-sex marriage has been part of the national party platform for a decade.

"I don't think that there's going to be some major referee who's going to say now it's time to stop," Christie said of his personal opposition to marriage equality. "Certainly I'm not going to, because these are opinions that I feel strongly about."

In March, 2014, a Pew Research poll found that 61% of younger Republican voters favored same-sex marriage.